John Coleman was born about 1730 and died before 1806 in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish this man from another John Coleman, possibly an uncle, in the same county at the same time. This reseacher has done no work on this family, but only on John’s daughter Barsheba, or Bathsheba.

I hesitate to copy their conclusions with nothing of my own to add. John Coleman worked as a tax collector. His wife may have been connected to Norton, Stacy, Rozel, Brearly, or other families we have not seen. There is also a possibility that the earliest Coleman (or Coalman) individuals in New Jersey were Swedish.

Ms. McConachie did a wonderful job uniting the data for each child of John’s named in his will and giving potential family data.

John’s children, according to his will, were:

1. John COLEMAN. Born in 1748. John was possibly the John Coleman who died in North Beaver Twp, Beaver Co PA, on 16 Aug 1846. This man was possibly a Revolutionary War veteran.[1]Heirs alive at making of his will, in the order given in the will were wife Mary, daughter Ruth Smart & children, daughter Margaret Hardon & children, son George Washington Coleman & heirs, daughter Charlotte Bannon, daughter Mary Copper, daughter Sarah Coleman, son William Coleman & heirs, daughter Levina McLaughlin, daughter Elizabeth Coleman, daughter Nancy Johnston.[2]

2. James COLEMAN. Born ca 1750. He was married to Anne. James died in Nottingham, Burlington Co NJ,ca 1802.[3]

3. William COLEMAN. Born before 1753. Possibly the man in this record: Historical Records Survey; 1939; pub. Newark, NJ; 30 Jan 1775, Freehold electors of Township of Nottingham, Burlington County. To House of Assembly. Situation between Great Britain and Colonies has reached alarming crisis; country may be involved in horrors of civil war; real interests of America best protected by loyalty to Great Britain; should meet some of expenses of government, for defense of Empire; disavow all violent proceedings against mother country; will prove selves loyal subjects of “His Gracious Majesty, George III.” (Singed) Daniel Hendrickson Isaac Quigley Thomas HutchinsonJoseph Schooley William Foord John Cornish WILLIAM COALMAN Gysbert Hendrickson John Culp John Abbott Elijah Bond Isaac Pearson Thomas Lawrie Robert Pearson Joseph Tantum Jesse Waln Timoy. Abbott John Abbott, Jr. John Quicksall Jacob Cook.[4]

4. David COLEMAN. Born in say 1755. Nothing further known after the father’s will.

5. Rhoda COLEMAN. Born ca 1757. Rhoda died in Brown Co OH, after 8 Feb 1826. She was married to William Printy; the couple had six children, born in NJ and then in KY, apparently later settling in Brown Co OH.

8. Barsheba COLEMAN. Born on 9 Sep 1759 (or 1762) in Maidenhead Twp, Hunterdon Co NJ. Barsheba died in NJ in 1795. In say 1785, she first married Nathaniel MOORE. Born about 1758 in Burlington Co NJ. Nathaniel died ca 1787-1788. They had the following children:

i.Sarah (1786-1887)

ii.David (1788-1886)

About 1788 Barsheba had a child with John ARMSTRONG, son of Martin ARMSTRONG & Elizabeth –?–, in NJ. A marriage record for John Armstrong and Barsheba (Coleman) Moore has not been located and may not have existed. Born in say 1767 in near Princeton, Somerset Co NJ, John died in Maidenhead Twp, Hunterdon Co NJ, bet 5 & 24 Feb 1808. They had one child:

i.John Sr (ca1787-1852)

9. Margery COLEMAN. She married a Mr Stackpole. Nothing further is known.

[3]Burlington Co NJ Deed Bk. I; p. 252. 1 Jan 1796 James Coalman & Anne his wife of Nottingham Twp, Burlington Co sell to Jesse Coalmon of the same place…for 300 pounds…all that tract of woodland in Nottingham…beginning at a stone in the end of a ditch in David Lee’s line also a corner to the land of James Coalman’s, thence along the middle of sd. ditch N 37 degrees 45 minutes E 17 chains 25 links to a white oak marked for a corner, thence S 62 degrees 15 min. E 16 chains to a white oak bush marked for a corner, thence with other land of sd. Jesse Coalman’s S 27 degrees 15 min. W 17 chains 6 links to a post alos a corner for sd. Lee thense with his line N 62 degrees 15 min. W 19 chians 37 links to the place of beginning…30 ac…also all trees, woods, commons, pastures, profits, etc. Witnesses: John James James Coleman L.S. Geo. Anderson Anna Coleman L.S. 11 Feb 1797 Proved by James & Anna Coleman, she examined separately. Geo. Anderson, Judge of the Inferior Court, Burlington Co, Rec. 3 Sep 1800 [Recorded with the deed of John Coleman to Jesse Coalman of 4 Apr 1800, on adjacent pages in the deed book.]